The gender gap in residential rentals

Women continued to earn less than men in 2025, according to data from the PayProp Rental Index – and the pay gap appears to be getting bigger.

In Q4, the average male rental applicant had an income 26.2% higher than the average female applicant, up from 25.6% a year earlier.

To an extent, female applicants make up for this by renting less expensive properties. The average female tenant paid just over R1 200 less a month than the average man. Even so, women spent more as a proportion of their income. Their rent-to-income ratio was 30.3% in Q4, compared to 26.7% on average for men.

Agents often use 30% of income as an affordability benchmark for tenants; spending over that is seen as a risk factor for non-payment. But taking a wider view of affordability, the picture looks a bit different. Women spend less on debt repayments than men do – 43.0% of income compared to 48.8% – and this leaves them with slightly more disposable income left over each month as a proportion of earnings.

This debt spending gap gives women more room to absorb financial shocks like a sudden bill or a rise in interest rates.  

It also shows why agents should assess affordability by looking at tenants’ spending and, if possible, their rental payment history. Simply comparing their income to the rent applied for, without checking their indebtedness, risks passing up on a safer tenant tin favour of one who only appears stronger due to their income – regardless of their gender.

The PayProp Tenant Assessment Report combines traditional credit scoring with the applicant’s rental payment history (where it has been shared by participating agencies) to show you not just whether a tenant can pay the rent, but whether they historically have.